War On Drugs Failing, Peruvian Leader Says

February 27, 1992|By TOM HARVEY, Senior Correspondent

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- President Alberto Fujimori of Peru struck a discordant note on Wednesday at the opening of U.S.-Latin American summit called to reaffirm the hemispheric battle against illegal drugs.

Fujimori`s critical analysis of the efforts to curb production of coca leaf -- cocaine`s main ingredient -- came as he and four other Latin American presidents began two days of meetings with President Bush.

Fujimori appeared angry and defiant in labeling the anti-drug policies of the past 10 years ``a failure`` and attacking the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. policy he said was militarizing the anti-drug effort.

The meetings, to culminate today with a joint declaration, are largely a symbolic reaffirmation of various countries` commitment to the drug war.

But Fujimori`s remarks underscored a serious rift between the Bush administration and the country with 60 percent of the world`s coca leaf production.

Peru also is the country where the drug war is most complicated, with the economy largely dependent on the money it earns, because of the thousands of poor farmers who grow the coca leaf and the presence of the Shining Path guerrilla movement in the growing areas.

``Millions and millions of dollars have been invested and there are no results,`` Fujimori said. ``Military methods have not produced results anywhere, not in Vietnam, not in Korea, not in Burma,`` he said.

Fujimori has been at odds with the Bush administration since assuming office in 1990. He has favored a policy of developing alternative crops for poor farmers instead of forcing them out of the coca leaf business through military or police action.

Cesar Gaviria, president of Colombia, appealed for setting a goal of irradicating drug use and production in the hemisphere by the year 2010.

``I believe we must answer to real, specific targets, goals we will set for ourselves where there is clear accountability to continue progress in the fight against drugs,`` Gaviria said.

He called for setting up an international anti-drug coordination agency by 1995.